Refrigerated display cabinet construction



July 14, 1953 F. KUHN REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CABINET CONSTRUCTION vFiled Aug. 17, 1951 7 m m I I H 8 W e: a 7m 1. w 4 4 7 a A 5 I H 3/ A l a, v fl u A h a a J v w w a w 3 H A 7'TORN5 Patented July 14, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I REFRIGERATED DISPLAY. CABINET CON STRUQTION Fred Kuhn, Detroit, Mich. Application August 17, 1951, Serial No.,242,385

This invention relates struction, and more particularly, to a refrigerated cabinet normally used in the display and merchandising of foods and particularly frozen foods.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a novel cabinet construction, which is pleasing in appearance, and .Which provides a maximum of refrigerated storage and display space.

This and other objects will be set forth and be apparent in the following specification and. claims in conjunction with the appended drawm I Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the present display cabinet.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig, 2.v

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on line 44 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 2,

to a novel cabinet con- 6 Claims. (Cl. 62-89. 5)

The cabinet also includes the rectangular front plate I9, which terminates at its upper end in the rearwardly extending horizontal ledge 29, which is shown in Fig. 2 terminates in the downwardly extending plate 25. Plate is parallel to plate, I 9 and terminates at its lower end in the rearwardly extending plate 24, which lies par-' allel to plate 20. The cabinet also includesthe upright rectangular rear wall plate 2|, arranged inwardly thereof, andv parallel to plate 2| is a second plate 23, which is connected at its lower end to plate 24, and at its upper end to the interior top wall horizontal plate 22, which projects forwardly towards and adjacent the front portion of the top wall I 8.

There are additional interior sidewall plates I I, which are spaced inwardly from sidewall ele ments II and which extend rearwardly for connection with the inner rear wall plate 23. Thus, thereis provided upon the interior of the cabinet as shown in Fig. 2 suitable insulating com- 7 partments which extend behind front plate I9,

It will be understood that the drawing illustrates merely a preferred embodimentof the in-.. vention and that the other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth. r

Referring to the drawing the present frozen food cabinet consists of the rectangular end wall elements II and the transverse rearwardly in-. clined lower front panel I2, which is spaced rearwardly along its lower of the cabinet, and whose lower edge is spaced from the fioor as indicated at I5 to provide toe room for the individual standing closelyin front of the cabinet. The front plate I2, as shown in Figures 2 and 3 terminates in the horizontal rearwardly extending platform I3, which projects to the rear of the cabinet, and upon which is positioned the conventional refrigerating mechanism generally designated at I4. The detail of the refrigerating mechanism forms no part of the present invention and further description thereof is omitted.

Additional hollow sidewall elements I6 are provided upon opposite ends of the cabinet and are arranged rearwardly of the flat surface portions 3| of the sidewall elements I I, as shown in Fig. 1. There is also provided a hollow continuous rectangularly shaped cover element I8, which is arranged upon the upper ends of the upper sidewall elements I6 and Whose front wall I? projects forwardly of sidewall elements I 6, and which registers with the front wall portions of elements II. Y

portion from the front,

above the plate 20, inwardly of the-rear plate 2|, below the top plate I8 and inwardly of the sidewall elements ll. partm ents is positioned suitable insulating material 43 to thereby provide insulation for most of the walls of said cabinet.

Suitable conduits 26 are positioned within the insulated compartments as shown in Fig. 2, which are joined at their lower ends to the refrigerating element I4 and are separately and individually connected by the fittings and 42 to the respective upright refrigerating plates 34 and hereafter described and which are arranged in upright parallel spaced relation within the interior space 21 of said cabinet. Rectangularly shaped upright transparent glass'panel' Z8 is arrangedand supported inan upright position uponthe horizontal ledge 29 as shown in Figures 1 and 2.- The opposite ends of the framed glass panel 28- are positioned and supportably retained within the spaced upright end channels 30 which as shown in Figures 1 and 4 are positioned upon the interior wall portions of the side elements II adjacent the flat surface portions 3|.

The channel elements 30 also have secured thereto the normally arranged channel elements 32 shown in Figures 1 and 4 which supportably retain the upright end glass panels 33 which rest upon surface elements 3|.

The upright parallel spaced metallic refrigerating plates 34 arranged in horizontally spaced relation rest upon the interior floor or bottom wall 24, and theirinner ends are maintained in In these insulating -comvertical position within the channels 36, Figures 2 and 5, which project outwardly from and are suitably secured to the interior rear wall or liner 23.

The upright parallel spaced defroster plate elements 31 are partially channelled upon their under-surfaces to receive the top edges of the refrigerator plates 34, as illustrated in Fig. 1. As these defroster plates form no operative part of the present invention except as they provide slight upright extensions of the plates 34, further detailed description of their operation as defrosters is omitted.

A series of storage compartments are thus provided between upright plates 34, and a second series of upright rearwardly displaced storage compartments are provided between the horizontally and longitudinally spaced refrigerating plates 40 as shown in Fig. 1.

The plates 40 are mounted in an upright position upon the rearwardly displaced platform 39, the latter being supported at its ends upon the projections 38 which extend from the interior surface H upon opposite ends of the storage space 21.

Plates 4!! are retained in upright position with their rear upright edges positioned within the upright channels 4|, whichare secured to and project inwardly from interior rear wall 23 as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

While not essential, it has been found desirable in the present construction to make the plates 40 refrigerating plates in the same manner as the plates 34, and this is accomplished by the fittings 42 which connect rear interior portions of plates 40 within the refrigerant conduits 26 above described, which are also connected to the refrigerating mechanism indicated at 14.

The present refrigerated display stand is thus provided with a double wall structure, which is filled with suitable insulating material as at 43, 44, and 45 to render said stand as efficient as possible to maintain a constant cooling temperature with the interior space 2! and the corresponding storage compartments defined by the plates 34 and 40.

Having described my invention reference should now be had to the claims that follow for determining the scope thereof.

I claim:

I. In a refrigerated display cabinet including hollow insulated enclosing walls including front, rear, side, top and bottom walls, defining a substantially enclosed refrigerated space, the top horizontal edge of said front wall being downwardly spaced from said top wall permitting access to the interior of said space, a series of upright horizontally spaced rectangularly shaped plates within said space mounted upon said bottom wall and interposed between said front and rear walls defining a plurality of food storage compartments, a rearwardly displaced horizontal shelf arranged above said plates and positioned against said rear wall, and a series of upright horizontally spaced rectangularly shaped plates within said space mounted upon said shelf defining a plurality of additional rearwardly positioned food storage compartments below said top wall.

2. In a refrigerated display cabinet including hollow insulated enclosing walls including front, rear, side, top and bottom walls, defining a substantially enclosed refrigerated space, the top horizontal edge of said front wall being downwardly spaced from said top wall permitting access to the interior of said space, a series of upright horizontally spaced rectangularly shaped refrigerating plates within said space mounted upon said bottom wall and interposed between said front and rear walls defining a plurality of food storage compartments, a rearwardly displaced horizontal shelf arranged above said plates and positioned against said rear wall, and a series of upright rectangularly shaped refrigerating plates within said space mounted-upon said shelf defining a plurality of additional rearwardly positioned food storage compartments below said .top wall.

3. In a refrigerated display cabinet including hollow insulated enclosing walls including front, rear, side, top and bottom walls, defining a substantially enclosed refrigerated space, a series of upright horizontally spaced rectangularly shaped plates Within said space mounted upon said bottom wall and interposed between said front and rear walls defining a plurality of food storage compartments, a rearwardly displaced horizontal shelf arranged above said plates and positioned against said rear wall, a series of upright horizontally spaced rectangularly shaped plates within said space mounted upon said shelf defining a plurality of additional rearwardly positioned food storage compartments below said top Wall, the top horizontal edge of said front wall being spaced from said top wall exposing the upper portions of said first plates, and an upright rectangular glass panel mounted upon the top horizontal edge of said front wall providing visual access to said food storage compartments, the upper horizontal edge of said glass panel being spaced from said top wall permitting physical access to all of said compartments.

4. In a refrigerated display cabinet including hollow insulated enclosing walls including front, rear, side, top and bottom walls, defining a substantially enclosed refrigerated space, a series of upright horizontally spaced rectangularly shaped plates within said space mounted upon said bottom, wall and interposed between said front and rear Walls defining a plurality of food storage compartments, a rearwardly displaced horizontal shelf arranged above said plates and positioned against said rear wall, and a series of upright horizontally spaced rectangularly shaped plates within said space mounted upon said shelf defining a plurality of additional rearwardly positioned food storage compartments below said top wall, the top horizontal edge of said front wall being spaced from said top wall exposing the upper portions of said first plates, an upright rectangular glass panel mounted upon the top horizontal edge of said front wall providing visual access to said food storage compartments, the upper horizontal edge of said glass panel being spaced from said top wall'permitting physical access to all of said compartments, said side walls being cut away at their front portions defining upright rectangular openings between said top and side walls, and upright rearwardly directed glass panels within said latter openings permitting visual access'to the interior of said cabinet from its opposite ends.

5. In a refrigerated display cabinet including hollow insulated enclosing walls including front, rear, side, top and bottom walls, defining a substantially enclosed refrigerated space, the top horizontal edge of said front wall being downwardly spaced from said top wall permitting access to the interior of said space, a series of upright horizontally spaced rectangularly shaped plate within said space mounted upon said bottom wall and interposed between said front and rear walls defining a plurality of food storage compartments, a rearwardly displaced horizontal shelf arranged above said plates and positioned against said rear wall, a series of upright horizontally spaced rectangularly shaped plates Within said space mounted upon said shell defining a plurality of additional rearwardly positioned food storage compartments below said top wall, and horizontally spaced upright channels secured to the rear wall upon its interior to supportably receive the rear edges of said plates.

6. In a refrigerated display cabinet including hollow insulated enclosing walls including front, rear, side, top and bottom walls, defining a substantially enclosed refrigerated space, a series of upright horizontally spaced rectangularly shaped plates within said space mounted upon said bottom wall and interposed between said front and rear Walls defining a plurality of food storage compartments, a rearwardly displaced horizontal shelf arranged above said plates and positioned against said rear wall, a series of upright horizontally spaced rectangularly shaped plates within said space mounted upon said shelf defining a plurality of additional rearwardly positioned food storage compartments below said top wall, the top horizontal edge of said front wall being spaced from said top wall exposing the upper portions of, said first plates, an upright rectangular glass panelmounted upon the top horizontal edge of said front wall providing visual access to said food storage compartments, the upper horizontal edge of said glass panel being spaced from said top wall permitting physical access to all of said compartments, and upright channel elements secured to interior portions of said side Walls adjacent their front edges, said elements having longitudinally directed channels to supportably receive the opposite ends of said first glass panel and additional rearwardly directed channels to supportably receive the front edges of said rearwardly directed glass panels. FRED KUHN.

Name Date Sanders July 8, 1941 Warren 11 Mar. 21, 1950 Number 

